Word
taken
Phoneticstak·en, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈteɪkən/
UK/tˈeɪkən/
Definitions
01past participle of take
A1 · Beginner
v. the form of 'take' used after 'have' or 'be'.
v. the past participle of the irregular verb 'take'. Used in the formation of perfect tenses and passive voice constructions.
“I have taken this medicine every morning for a week.”
“The decision was taken after several hours of intense deliberation by the board of directors.”
Usage
As a past participle, it requires an auxiliary verb like 'have' or 'be'.
Pitfall
I have took the bus many times.
I have taken the bus many times.
Use 'taken' with the auxiliary verb 'have' for the present perfect; 'took' is only for the simple past.
Antonyms
02in a relationship
B1 · Intermediate Informal
adj. already in a romantic relationship and not available to date others.
adj. unavailable for romantic pursuit due to being in a committed relationship.
“I'm sorry, but I'm already taken and I'm very happy with my partner.”
“He didn't realize she was already taken until he saw her wedding ring during the dinner party.”
Teaching tip
This is a very common way to politely decline a romantic advance in social settings.
Synonyms
03very attracted to
B2 · Upper Intermediate Literary
adj. to be very impressed by or attracted to someone or something.
adj. captivated, infatuated, or highly impressed by a person, idea, or object. Often follows the verb 'be' and takes the preposition 'with'.
“He was quite taken with the small village and decided to stay for another week.”
“The critics were clearly taken with the young pianist's debut performance, praising her technical precision and emotional depth.”
Usage
Usually follows the pattern 'be taken with' or 'be taken by'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English taken, takenn, from Old English tacen, ġetacen, from Old Norse tekinn, from Proto-Germanic tēkanaz, past participle of Proto-Germanic *tēkaną (“to take; grasp; touch”). Cognate with Scots takin, tane, Danish tagen, Swedish tagen, Icelandic tekin. Morphologically take + -n.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
The word in film
Taken · 2008 · Crime
- Directed by:
- Pierre Morel
- Starring:
- Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen, Maggie Grace
Liam Neeson stars in this crime thriller as a retired agent who travels to Paris to find his daughter. The title uses the past participle form of the verb to describe how the girl was kidnapped by criminals.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A1 · Beginner
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/taken